IntroductionA large majority of hemiplegic cerebral palsy children demonstrate poor balance, which leads to poor gait and impaired reaching movements as the maintenance of stability is critical to all movements. Various approaches and strategies are used to improve balance; task-oriented training is one of them. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of task-oriented training on balance in spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsied children.MethodsOverall, 30 spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy children who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated into 2 equal groups (control and study group). The control group received a selected therapeutic exercise program for 90 min. The study group received the same program for 60 min and task-oriented training for 30 min. The total treatment provided for both groups was 90 min/day, 3 days/week for 4 successive months. Baseline and post-treatment assessment of each child with regard to overall, anteroposterior, and mediolateral stability indices was performed by using the Biodex Balance System.ResultsChildren in both groups showed significant improvements in post-treatment mean values of all measured variables when compared with the pre-treatment mean values (p < 0.05). Significant improvement was observed in favour of the study group when comparing the post-treatment mean values of both groups.ConclusionsTask-oriented training is a useful tool that can be applied in improving balance in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

Background: Haemophilia is a hereditary coagulopathy disease affecting males. It is characterized by musculoskeletal bleeding, leading to chronic synovitis and severe joint hemarthrosis. Objective: To determine the impact of pulsed electro-magnetic field on swelling, range of motion and muscle strength of hemarthrotic knee joints of haemophilic adolescents. Participants and Methodology: Thirty haemophilic adolescent males ranging in age between thirteen and sixteen years who fulfilled the inclusion criteria participated in this study. They were assigned randomly into two groups of equal numbers A (control) and B (study). Groups A and B received a specific program of physical therapy for sixty minutes, in addition, group A received a placebo pulsed electromagnetic field for twenty minutes, while group B received pulsed electromagnetic field for twenty minutes. The treatment program was applied three days/week for three successive months. Evaluation of knee swelling using tape measurement, range of motion using electronic goniometer and muscle strength using isokinetic dynamometer was conducted for each patient of groups A and B before and after treatment. Results: Significant improvement was observed in the post-treatment mean values of the measuring variables of groups A and B when compared with their pre-treatment results (p < .05). High significant improvement was observed in group B when comparing the post-treatment results of groups, A and B (p < .05). Conclusions: Pulsed electromagnetic field is an effective modality which can be used with the traditional methods for treatment of knee hemarthrosis in haemophilic adolescents.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of coordination dynamic therapy on controlling spasticity and functional abilities of the affected upper and lower limbs in spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsied children. Subjects:Thirty spastic hemiplegic children ranging in age from six to eight years represented the sample of the study. The degree of spasticity ranged from 1 to 1 + grades according to the modified Ashworth scale. They were divided randomly into two groups of equal number (A and B). The two groups received a conventional physical therapy program; in addition group B received coordination dynamic therapy. A motion analysis system was used to determine the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle joints angles during stance phase, before and after four months of treatment. Results:The collected data at the end of treatment revealed significant improvement in the measured variables of the two groups, which was higher in favor of group B. Conclusion:significant improvement observed in group B may be attributed to the effect of coordination dynamic therapy which controlled and improved neurogenesis and functional cell through improvement of motor organization and relearning of the central nervous system.

Spastic diaplegia is characterized by motor inco-ordination primarily in the lower extremities, that impairs many functional abilities, most notably ambulation. This study was conducted to determine the effect of arm cycling and visual feedback on controlling spasticity of the lower limbs, in spastic diaplegic cerebral palsied children. Thirty spastic diaplegic cerebral palsied children from both sexes, ranging in age from six to eight years represented the sample of the study. All subjects were ambulant with an abnormal gait pattern characterized by hip and knee flexion and ankle planter flexion. The subjects were divided randomly into two groups of equal number (A and B). Group A (control) received a designed physical therapy program in addition to arm pedaling using a reciprocate bicycle with an unloaded cycling for thirty ramps / minute for five minutes, repeated three times with five minutes rest in between. Group B (study) received the same program given to group A with applying the arm pedaling in front of a large mirror to produce visual feedback. Evaluation using 3D Motion Analysis was conducted to determine hip, knee and ankle joints' angles before and after three months of treatment. The results revealed significant improvement in all measuring variables of the two groups, when comparing their pre and post treatment mean values. Highly significant improvement was observed in favor of group B when comparing the post treatment results of the two groups. Improvement observed in the lower limbs joints' angles may be due to enhancement of the effect of cross education training using arm cycling via visual feedback, amelioration of motor learning which led to controlling spasticity of the lower limbs, in the diaplegic cerebral palsied children.